Watched by a new ANZ Stadium record crowd of 83,812, the Blues came so close to ending the streak but again fell agonisingly short as they did when a Cooper Cronk field goal decided last year's series.

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In the end, discipline cost NSW as the Maroons two tries to Johnathan Thurston and Justin Hodges - the best player on the field - came on the back of penalties.

A 13th minute Thurston penalty goal utimately proved the difference between the two teams in what proved to be another epic battle between the two states that was thankfully devoid of controversery after the brawling that had marred the two opening matches.

State of Origin - Game III

Early on, the signs had looked ominous for another comfortable Queensland win as the Blues gave away silly penalties and turned over posession.

Mitchell Pearce, who had declared that his Origin career was likely to be over if he couldn't steer NSW to a series win, set the tone when he dropped his first touch of the ball in the third minute.

Worse was to come when Greg Bird conceded a blatant penalty for holding down Sam Thaiday on halfway six minutes later and Johnathan Thurstons stepped his way over for the opening try.

Blues skipper Robbie Farah complained that he had been impeded from getting to Thurston by Nate Myles but the reality was that the poor NSW defence had allowed the Maroons five-eighth to score.

Another penalty, this time against Blues five-eighth James Maloney for shouldering Cooper Cronk after a kick, enabled Thurston to extend the lead to 8-0 in the 13th minute and the match appeared destined to go the way of Origin II when Queensland led 14-0 after 17 minutes.

As the NSW players headed back to halfway for another kick off, the tackle counts of the respective teams were 57-to-38 - meaning the Maroons had enjoyed more than three sets of additional possession to the Blues.

But the match changed with the injection of forwards Anthony Watmough and Andrew Fifita from the interchange bench and the Blues finished the first half on top everywhere but the scoreboard.

Remarkably, the penalty count at the interval was 6-2 in favour of NSW and the errors were even at four apiece.

What those statistics don't show is how the Blues failed to take their opportunities as they threw wayward passes or dropped the ball to let Queensland off the hook.

After Farah had regained the ball from his own kick following a Billy Slater knock-on near the Maroons line, the next pass went to no-one and NSW lost possession.

A Maloney kick put down by Greg Inglis also provided the Blues with no real advantage after Luke Lewis lost the ball on zero tackle.

James McMannus finally put the Blues on the board in the 25th minute after back-to-back penalties against Queensland when he finished off a sweeping movement involving Pearce, fullback Josh Dugan and Josh Morris.

But McMannus was denied a second try just two before halftime when his wing opposite Darius Boyd just managed to get downward pressure on a Farah grubber kick bouncing in the Maroons in-goal.

There were more wasted opportunities for the Blues early in the second half, with Dugan being unable to hold a Fifita off-load as he sped into the clear and Michael Jennings twice dropping the ball.

Queensland deserve credit for their defence to hold NSW out through sustained periods before and after halftime, and Hodges was a key figure in snuffing out several tryscoring opportunities for the Blues.

The 28-year-old centre deservedly crossed for the match winning try in the 64th minute after running onto a perfectly timed pass from Cronk.

Blues prop Trent Merrin scored in the 71st minute but Queensland hung on to continue a winning streak that begun in 2006.

148 comments

the awesome foursome can't keep playing like this for more than another season or two, so we might get 'em after they get 10!!1

Commenter

pippid

Date and time

July 17, 2013, 10:24PM

NSW bereft of playmakers, decent offloads, line breaks, and generally no class. Pierce hopeless. Had Farrah taken the penalty goals NSW may have won, but he didn't and the team made hopeless, thoughtless, easily read plays then lost the ball. Numeroud duds in the team....fit, big blokes with no brains. 2nd rate team.

Commenter

Bill

Date and time

July 17, 2013, 10:42PM

We'll never win with these halves. We bossed the game and still lost because of mistakes at key times.

Commenter

biggerthan

Date and time

July 17, 2013, 10:53PM

The best "go forward" halves were left out. Reynolds/Sutton should just tell the selectors to get stuffed next year because how could they leave them out this year on the stats????Coming first.....best kicking games in the comp (East worst) best management around the ground (East worst) 40/20's (East none) ......You have to be kidding me about the selections........not one player from the team coming first in NSW but QLD can have 3 players........just dumb.

Commenter

Done Again

Date and time

July 17, 2013, 10:59PM

Surely the nsw captain Farrah, having turned down more than one simple kick at goal, and not come up with a try, deserves a severe roasting after losing by....ah....a goal! Well added up Robbie!

Commenter

Marcus

Date and time

July 17, 2013, 11:02PM

Who from NSW would make a combined team? Anyone?

Commenter

Frank

Date and time

July 17, 2013, 11:09PM

Hahah i couldnt agree more.I honestly cant remember the last series we had won. Was it when Andrew Johns played his last series?I have had enough of losing every year. I wont be watching next years series.I might just read about it the next morning in the paper.

Another boring win to QLD , NSW have to have a new coach, Laurie is a nice guy, good at coaching country teams but not at this level. His constant trust in Pearce whilst noble is flawed. I suggest that NSW get rid of all the players who have played in the last 2-3 series: Bird , Gallen, Farrah, they have proven they can't beat QLD , mentally they are beaten before they get on the field. If plan A doesn't work go to Plan B, NSW tonight didn't have a Plan B , yes there was only 2 points however QLD always in the last 8, yes eight years ,always find a way to win. This getting like the Wallabies and the All Blacks.

17 Jul
Matt Scott crashed over for what should have been the deciding play with two minutes and 10 seconds left on the clock, and it was almost time for the fat lady to sing. Instead, it was a fat streaker who almost decided proceedings.

18 Jul
First came the nudity, then the agony. Four coaches and five captains have now tried and been unable to end Queensland's State of Origin dynasty, with a 12-10 defeat at ANZ Stadium sealing a remarkable eighth series victory in a row.

18 Jul
Another missed opportunity, on a night of many. Queensland's streak withstood a streaker - but also enormous pressure from NSW, who once again put themselves in a position to end the Maroons' dominance, but ultimately failed.

18 Jul
There was doubt if Brent Tate would play another Origin game. He alleviated any fears with arguably his most destructive performance, in helping Queensland secure their eighth consecutive series win.

18 Jul
SHATTERED NSW five-eighth James Maloney jumped to the defence of his club and state halves partner Mitchell Pearce, saying individuals players could not be blamed for the Blues' heartbreaking defeat in the series decider.